Commander's Message

I hope your Christmas brought you a time of Reflection of your blessings, Fellowship with family and friends, Thankfulness to God for all the blessings he has given us as individuals and a country. Let us not forget that there were many tables with empty chairs during Christmas due to a family member being away in service to our Great Nation.

A Great Big Thank You goes out to Steve and Ann, who prepared and delivered the Christmas gift bags to the veterans in rest homes.

I want to say that I am honored to be a part of a Post started by our ancestors in 1919. Over the last 102 years, we have become a premier Post and are the largest Post in District 5 and well-known in Division I and throughout the State for our commitment to the American Legion.

The nominating committee will begin seeking out individuals to serve in ALL elected positions. I know many of you are more than capable of performing in some capacity, and I believe that our organization needs and deserves good leadership. If the nominating committee asks you to serve, I hope you will consider and step up. Be sure to ask any member of the nominating committee or any officer if you have questions about the duties and responsibilities of any position. There will be a training session for all new officers after being elected. So, step up and out and make a difference.

As a reminder, as a member of the American Legion, you are responsible for touching the lives of many people you don't know and most likely will never meet, including the many veterans our organization assists. And the many young people and their families involved with our youth programs. We are not at 100% on membership as a Post, and since membership is key to our success, we still need all Members who have not renewed their membership to consider please renewing their membership and sending in your dues. Let us get those memberships in ASAP and show our District, Division, and Department we mean business, as we continue the Legacy of the American Legion.

Our annual Birthday and Awards Banquet is coming up on Saturday, March 12. This year we will also celebrate our 103rd birthday as an organization. At this time, we also recognize Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, Community Service, Soldier, and Legionnaire of the year. With the current situation in our country, I feel we should rally behind ALL those who have served and are serving our Nation and those who protect and serve our community. Let us all make plans to show our support by attending this Banquet scheduled for Saturday, March 12^th at 6:00 pm.

Please remember to purchase your American Flags from Post 52 or online at emblem sales. You will not buy a better-quality flag for the price, period. When purchasing online at Emblem Sales, remember to register it to Post 52, North Carolina, and the Post gets a 10% reward.

Together we can make 2022 a more successful year than 2021. If we each do a little, we can accomplish a lot. Whoa!

For God & Country, Harvey Satterwhite, Commander Post 52

Chaplain's Corner

"Bless the Lord, my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits;" – Psalm 103:1-2 (NASB)

I hope you all had the best Christmas ever and a Happy New Year! In the coming year, we all could use some insight from God's Word, something to hold on to for the upcoming year. When David wrote this psalm, he knew that honoring and praising the Lord comes from within, and David knew from an inspection of himself that he was not praising God enough. David called upon his soul to praise God even more. He understood that his worship should be wholly offered when he said. "and all that is within me." David desired all that was within himself to give praise to God.

Often, we do not praise God with our whole heart or sometimes even less. We often go about our day without acknowledgment of our Creator; We come to church and leave our minds on vacation; We hear God's message of grace, but a complaining spirit hardens our hearts. Charles Spurgeon notes, "Only a holy man can delight in holy things. Holiness is the terror of unholy men; they love sin and count it liberty, but holiness is to them a slavery. If we be saints, we shall bless God for his holiness."

David utilized repetition for emphasis, "bless the Lord, my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits." True benefits are from God, and we must not forget them; instead, we must remember and praise God for them. One king, Hezekiah, in 2 Chronicles 32:24-25 on his death bed, "prayed to the Lord; who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign." but Hezekiah did not receive it with gratitude, yet humbled himself and was saved from a greater judgment.

The Lord bless you and keep you all, Thomas Reid

Auxiliary Notes

Hello, everyone. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a great New Year. Just couple of things, please keep Linda Kerensky's sister in your prayers, and on Sunday, January 9, at 1:00 pm, we will have a Christmas/New Year's gathering at the Post. Everyone, please bring a snack to share.

Karen Nowell, President Auxiliary Unit 52

Now is the perfect time for a bowl of hot Brunswick Stew. Post 52 will sell its' famous Brunswick Stew ($8.00/qt) on Saturday, January 15, 11:00 am until 1 pm, or all sold out. We recommend you pre-order to ensure you receive your stew.

To Pre-Order - Call/Text:
Steve at 919 727-0087 or email him at stephen.ijames@gmail.com or Tony at 919 264-1671 to reserve your quarts, giving your name, phone, and the number of quarts. Of course, you can come by the Post on the 15^th to buy your Brunswick Stew.